For their achievement in combining architectural elegance with sustainability and energy efficiency, seven California nonresidential projects received awards of recognition from the 2008 Savings By Design Energy Efficiency Integration Awards program.

Every year, the recognition program, sponsored by Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas & Electric®, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company and Sacramento Municipal Utility District, in conjunction with The American Institute of Architects, California Council (AIACC), acknowledges the extra time and effort it takes to successfully integrate architectural excellence and energy efficiency.

This year, one project stood out among the rest to take the top recognition level – Award of Honor. Two other outstanding projects received Awards of Merit and four noteworthy projects received special citations.

The jurors commented that the best projects respond well to climate and have an excellent contextual response to their surrounding area, while maintaining maximum comfort. They added that a building’s expression is what sets it apart as award-winning sustainable design.

The Children’s Museum has always been a freewheeling learning and exploration place based on innovative fine art rather than designed educational exhibits. With that in mind, museum leaders and the design team wanted a building with the feel of an artist’s loft. The new 50,000-square-foot facility is a contemporary warehouse in an urban setting that responds well to the climate by retaining heat in the winter and staying cool longer during the summer.

Water + Life Museums, the first LEED®-Platinum rated museum, celebrates the link between Southern California’s water infrastructure and the evolution of life with a 65,000-square-foot facility in the California desert. The educational museums are designed as living examples of environmental sustainability. The facility contains museum exhibit space, laboratories, classrooms, administrative offices, support facilities, gift shops, café, interior plaza and interpretive landscaping.

The new Francis Parker Middle and Upper School, accommodating 800 students, creates an environmentally responsible atmosphere for learning that centers on the student experience. Located atop a mesa overlooking San Diego’s Mission Valley, Francis Parker School connects to the outdoors, responds well to the climate and embraces the school’s educational environment of learning outside the classroom. The new design creates 60,000 square feet of academic space with 32 classrooms, 11 laboratories and a library.

To help prepare families living in isolation and poverty to succeed in school and in life, the 10,000 square foot Mothers’ Club Family Learning Center was completely renovated to allow more flexibility for a variety of activities and programs. This is the first preschool nationwide to register for LEED® Gold certification. The center is accessible from five public bus lines and the parking lot has preferred parking for low emitting, fuel efficient vehicles and carpools.

The North Central Animal Services Center underwent an $8.1 million expansion including 74,200 square feet for 170 outdoor dog kennels, various small animal holding facilities, a detached behavioral assessment room and new training yards. The facility that was originally an animal warehouse is now a sustainable and energy-efficient community center focused on facilitating successful animal adoptions.

The Redwood Day Middle School was constructed with careful consideration of its location – optimizing space while protecting all existing redwood trees on the site. Flexibility was critical because the main spaces have multidisciplinary uses. The multi-purpose space encompasses 2,126 square feet and two large garage doors open up to modify the quality of spaces. The center garage door divides the space in half and opens up to provide space for larger gatherings. The other garage door on the outside opens up directly to the redwood grove, taking advantage of the climate and views.

The Santa Monica Public Library is a 109,000-square-foot facility with one key concept: to be a model of a twenty-first century library that serves as a “living room” for the city. The library’s principal elevation incorporates a long, narrow, two-story reading room with floor to ceiling windows. The library includes an enclosed garden court that serves as a social gathering place with controlled access and Internet connectivity.

This program is funded by California utility ratepayers and administered by Pacific Gas & Electric Company, San Diego Gas & Electric Company, Southern California Edison Company, and Southern California Gas Company under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. The municipal portion of this program is funded and administered by Sacramento Municipal Utility District and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.